


Hold On

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [35]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Near Death, Serious Injuries, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 09:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17465096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: The ice had barely finished forming, the fragile wall their only defence now before Gray was turning away and falling to his knees beside the still form of his partner. He could just make out the ragged rise and fall of Natsu’s chest in the faint glow from his ice, but it didn’t stop him from fumbling for a pulse, needing the reassurance, even as his eyes darted down to the source of his fear.Whumptober: 1: Stabbed





	Hold On

The ice had barely finished forming, the fragile wall their only defence now before Gray was turning away and falling to his knees beside the still form of his partner. He could just make out the ragged rise and fall of Natsu’s chest in the faint glow from his ice, but it didn’t stop him from fumbling for a pulse, needing the reassurance, even as his eyes darted down to the source of his fear. Natsu’s vest had fallen aside when Gray had pushed him into this alcove, and it afforded Gray a clear view of the ugly stab wound that lay beneath.  It was deeper than he’d thought it was, and blood was still welling up along the length of it,  and swallowing he returned to putting pressure on it.

“Natsu!” He called, gently using his knee to nudge the Dragon-slayer’s side so that he didn’t lessen the pressure on the wound, praying for a response. However, Natsu remained as still as he’d been since Gray had first found him crumpled on the ground, his lax features eerily pale in the half-light cast by the ice shielding him from pursuit. “Natsu you need to wake up!” _Please wake up, I can’t lose you to this, not like this, and not here in some godforsaken alcove…_

    Guilt gnawed at him as he stared down at his mate, unable to escape the sensation of Natsu’s blood soaking his fingers. _This is my fault._  He knew that wasn’t strictly true, and he knew that Natsu would be telling him just that if he was conscious. However, he hadn’t been there when Natsu had gone down, although he’d heard it, and he doubted he’d be able to forget the strangled scream any time soon. _If ever…_ He’d half expected to be too late as he fought his way back to where he had left the Fire Mage, but he hadn’t, and now he needed Natsu to wake up. He needed to see the olive eyes open and alert, needing something to offset the sight of him lying still and bloody in a crumpled heap on the ground, his assailant readying to stab him again. “Natsu, please…” His hands were covered in his partner’s blood now, and his stomach rolled. _This is bad…_

    They needed Wendy or Porlyusica, but they had neither, and their main medical supplies were back at the inn, which was no use to them now, and Gray vowed to make sure they brought stuff with them from now. _If we make it out of this,_ he thought, even as he cast around for something that would help. But there was nothing he could use or nothing conventional he amended as he glanced down at this hands before taking a deep breath. He wasn’t sure that it was going to work. It had helped with his own wounds in the past, but this was Natsu, whose body always burned unnaturally hot and he wasn’t sure that his ice would be able to hold out against that. Especially at the moment when his focus was all over the place, Natsu’s life hanging in the balance, and leaving him feeling as though he was waiting for the world to topple over the edge.

_I have to try._

    The other option was sitting here with Natsu’s blood on his hands, doing nothing and waiting for his partner to slip away, and that wasn’t an option. _Please let this work,_ he thought silently, not sure who he was praying to as he let his magic rise. Ice flowing from trembling fingers, and across too pale skin, before moving to cover the wound, and for half a second he dared to think that it had worked.

   Then the ice was melting, pooling under his fingers, unable to hold out against the Dragon-slayer’s natural warmth and he cursed. “Natsu! Wake up!” If he couldn’t seal the wound, then Natsu was going to have to because there was no way he could keep going at this rate, and they were too far from help. If they didn’t stop the bleeding now, Natsu was going to… _No. I won’t let that happen. I’m not going to lose him here,_  Gray thought desperately, refusing to even consider the other outcome, terror gripping him as he stared down at his partner _._ “GOD DAMMIT NATSU!” He roared, not caring that he had just announced their location to their world as he stared at the pale features, willing Natsu’s eyes to open. Fighting tooth and nail against the lump that he could feel forming in his throat, when there was still no reply. He couldn’t fall apart here, he wouldn’t, and yet as he watched Natsu lying there and bleeding out in his arms, he could feel himself beginning to shatter.

_Natsu, please…_

    The movement when it finally came was so small that he almost missed it. In fact, the only reason he caught it was that the air around him seemed to warm slightly, like a summer breeze taking the chill out of a cold day. Natsu’s forehead furrowed as the pain started to register as the shadows lessened their grip on him, and then he was shifting, groaning with pain as he batted weakly at the hands bearing down on the source of the pain, trying to squirm away with a broken whimper.

“Stop…”

“Not a chance,” Gray retorted, unable to hide his relief, eyes stinging as his voice registered with the squirming Dragon-slayer, earning him a fleeting glimpse of olive eyes. “Hey, don’t fall asleep on me, we need to stop the bleeding.” He added urgently, realising that Natsu was slipping again, his gaze turning unfocused as his eyes started to slide shut. At his frantic tone Natsu tried to obey, opening his eyes a little wider, although he still seemed incapable of focusing properly and after a moment he sighed, sounding defeated even before he whispered brokenly.

“Can’t…”

“Yes, you can!” Gray refused to accept that, desperately trying to capture the wandering gaze as he leant over his mate. “Natsu, I can’t stop the bleeding…” Even as he spoke, he let his magic flare out again, desperately sending ice seeping across the wound even though he already knew that it was a futile gesture. _Please work. Please…_ Natsu whined at the sensation, trying to move away from it, but the fight had gone from him, and Gray watched helplessly as his eyes slipped shut once more. He opened his mouth, ready to plead with him again, when he faltered, eyes widening as he stared at the ice.

It wasn’t melting.

    There should have been relief as he saw the bleeding finally beginning to stop under his ice, but there wasn’t, because the ice should be melting, and it wasn’t. His fingers shook as he pulled them away from the wound, brushing them lightly against bloody skin, realising that for once Natsu didn’t feel like a blazing torch to him. That he was almost cool, and his breath hitched into a sob as he pulled Natsu into his arms, cradling him close and pressing a kiss into the messy hair.

_Natsu, hold on for me…_

_Please…_


End file.
